General Questions

It is an estimate of your total body fat. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in meters). To calculate your BMI. click here.

According to the National Institutes of Health, anyone with a Body Mass Index of 25 (BMI) or above is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or higher indicates obesity.

According to the CDC. obesity-related risks include three diseases that are the leading killers of Americans: heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular conditions, including stroke. Obesity also contributes to diabetes, the sixth-leading cause of death in America. In addition, occurrences of sleep apnea – known as the silent killer – significantly increase with excess weight.

The Davis Clinic is Houston’s premier weight management clinic, where highly skilled and experienced bariatric surgeons, dietitians, bariatricians, psychologists, and exercise psychologists, along with a team of licensed, certified healthcare professionals, provide surgical and non-surgical treatment for the disease of obesity. At The Davis Clinic, we have literally treated thousands of individuals struggling with their weight, just like you. Our team is dedicated to providing you with the most effective medically-supervised treatments for obesity and weight management available today. We perform gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and revision surgery for prior bariatric procedures that have either failed mechanically or which may be causing health issues for individuals. Because weight loss is all we do, we’re experts in this area of health management. Regular diets don’t work and lead to failure over and over again. At The Davis Clinic, expect success.

In addition to highly-qualified surgeons, The Davis Clinic employs specially-trained medical and nursing staff, certified bariatric nurses, allied health, and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) affiliate associate professionals, all with a heart to help those that suffer from the disease of obesity. Because we’re passionate about what we do, we hire people that are passionate, too. The Davis Clinic employs members of the ASMBS. National Association of Bariatric Nurses (NABN), Bariatric RN Credentialing Task Force, past members of the ASMBS Foundation’s National Advisory Board, members of WLS Lifestyles magazine Editorial Advisory Board and the ASMBS Foundation’s Walk from Obesity former National Chair and National Vice-Chair.

We provide a compassionate, understanding environment for those suffering from obesity or dealing with excess weight, and we rejoice in every success story in which we have the privilege to participate.

Every one of our employees is committed to helping make your journey a safe, easy and effective one.

The Davis Clinic is the premier, comprehensive weight management program in Houston, Texas. We cater not only to the needs of Houstonians, but our reputation for weight loss success brings patients from all over the United States, Mexico, Canada, and as far away as Dubai, and even Vietnam. We’re leaders in the field of weight loss for good reason:

Our highly-skilled bariatric surgeons who are among some of the most experienced bariatric surgeons in the nation;

Every hospital facility where we perform surgery is designated as a bariatric Center of Excellence, which means that they are specially designed and equipped to meet the specific needs of weight loss surgery patients;

Our bariatrician is recognized as a leader nationally in non-surgical weight management;

Our licensed, certified healthcare professionals and staff are specially trained in caring for the physical and emotional needs of overweight individuals;

We provide compassionate care and understanding in caring for individuals struggling with excess weight;

The myDavisClinic SM aftercare and support programs will prepare you for long-term success by providing you with the tools, resources, and education you need to maintain a healthy weight for life

To be eligible, you must have a BMI of 40 or greater without co-morbidities, or a BMI between 35 and 40 with at least one co-existing co-morbidity related to obesity (these must be sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, hypertension or coronary artery disease). In addition, you must show that you have seriously tried to lose weight in the past; have no physical, mental or other problems that would make surgery unnecessarily risky; and be able to participate in your treatment and lifetime follow-up care.

We recommend patients should be at least 18. This is primarily because younger patients may not have matured physically to the point that their body can handle the procedure or emotionally to the point that they can make a decision this important. We see adolescent patients on a case-by-case basis.

For our program, we will evaluate patients for weight loss surgery up to the age of 70. This is on a case-by-case basis, and evaluation does not imply that the surgeon will recommend surgery.

Yes. On average, studies show that weight loss surgery increases life expectancy up to 6.5 years. By comparison, heart bypass surgery increases life expectancy by about 3.5 years.

With even minimal weight loss, many medical problems may be improved. Serious medical problems such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes (adult onset) and sleep apnea may be improved or, in many cases, completely resolved. It is not necessary to lose all of your excess weight in order to achieve improvement with many of these medical conditions. The physicians at The Davis Clinic will consider your individual medical issues and will discuss how weight loss may positively impact your existing weight-related medical problems.

Weight-loss varies from person to person and the amount of weight you lose depends on several factors. You will need to be committed to your new, healthier lifestyle and eating habits. Obesity surgery is not a miracle cure. It is not uncommon for individuals that undergo weight loss surgery to lose 100 pounds or more within the first six to seven months after their procedure. The type of procedure, your starting weight, co-morbid conditions, age, and commitment to eating right and exercising will all play a part in how much weight you will lose after surgery. For individuals that choose a non-surgical treatment, a weight loss of one to five pounds a week should be expected. Again, your personal commitment to success will be

a huge determining factor in how much weight you lose. It is very important to work with your physician to set achievable weight-loss goals from the beginning.

There are three reasons you will undergo a psychological evaluation. Firstly, you will undergo a psychological because an evaluation is required by our program and may be required by your insurance company in order to receive approval for surgery. Secondly, we need to assess how well you understand the surgery and its risks, and whether you have the ability to make the life-long commitment required to maintain good health. Thirdly, undergoing a psychological evaluation will help identify whether or not there are any underlying issues that would affect your success after surgery, such as purging, binging, or other addictive behaviors. Working with our team will allow you the greatest opportunity for success.

Follow-up care with your surgeon is very important after any weight loss surgery. At The Davis Clinic, we see our patients within two weeks after surgery, and then again within two months after surgery. We see patients every four to 12 weeks thereafter for the first year after surgery, depending on the procedure. Check with your surgeon as to the specifics of your follow-up schedule. It is imperative that we draw labs and monitor your protein, vitamin and mineral intake on a regular basis. All patients are followed annually for a minimum of five years, but we encourage all of our patients to follow up with us annually for life. Working closely with your surgeon and our team at The Davis Clinic will help ensure your weight-loss success and will greatly reduce risks and complications.

We offer monthly live support group meetings and encourage our patients to attend, as studies show that patients that actively attend support group meetings and stay plugged in, achieve long-term success. Our support groups are a “safe place” for you and we recommend you begin attending right away – even before you’ve had your surgery – so that you can get a true picture of what lies ahead. Through myDavisClinic SM. you’ll be able to remain plugged in online with an amazing community of people just like you, who can offer support, encouragement, and practical advice. Changing behavior is not easy and we’re sensitive to this fact. At The Davis Clinic, you will receive the tools you will need to help you modify your behavior. At many support group meetings, you will be sent home with “homework” designed to assist you in facing the issues that may contribute to your obesity. In addition, our support group schedule includes guest speakers such as plastic surgeons, our psychologist, our dietitian, our surgeons, and more! Our support group calendar is updated frequently, as we continue to add new classes. Click here to access the current PDF file of our support group meetings . Many of our patients like to hang the support group schedule on their refrigerator as a reminder.

You must follow the instructions of your surgeon regarding return to normal activity. Generally speaking, after you have been released from your recovery period by your surgeon, your weight loss procedure will not hamper or restrict any physical activity, including swimming, aerobics, stretching, strenuous exercise or activities normally associated with work, such as lifting and climbing. Before returning to normal activities, you will need to be cleared by your surgeon. A normal recovery period will last anywhere from two to six weeks.

At The Davis Clinic, the first step is to verify whether or not you have benefits for weight-loss surgery through your health insurance policy. Our insurance specialists are experts with bariatric insurance verification, pre-certification, and approval. If you have an exclusion on your health insurance policy, meaning there are no benefits available for bariatric surgery, we will be happy to speak with you in our office during your consultation about the options available to you if you decide to self pay. Costs vary based on procedure and hospital location.

The IRS has recognized obesity as a disease; therefore, some medical expenses may qualify as a tax deduction. You should consult with a licensed accounting professional to see if any of your expenses qualify for a medical tax deduction. We have included specific information about IRS guidelines in our “Paying for Your Surgery ” section.

We are contracted with the following insurance providers. This list is up-to-date as of 12/01/10.

Whether or not you have to undergo any medical testing will depend on your health history, your current co-morbid conditions, and other indications of risk. Your surgeon or bariatrician will discuss any necessary tests required during your consultation.

For individuals with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 55, weight loss prior to surgery may be required in order to perform surgery more safely. If this is the case with you, our bariatric dietitian will work with you one-on-one to establish a program for weight loss success.

In addition, all patients go on a two-week pre-operative high protein, low carbohydrate diet, as obese individuals tend to have enlarged, fatty livers. All weight loss surgery procedures require surgical access to specific areas of the abdomen, and access to these areas may be compromised if a patient has an enlarged, fatty liver. Putting patients on our two-week protein shake meal replacement regimen allows the liver to shrink, making surgery easier to be performed, and ultimately safer for you.

With gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, staples are used. They are made of stainless steel or titanium, and are very small.